1Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.
2And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah and the name of the second was Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
3Now this man would go up out of his city year after year to worship and to sacrifice to Yahweh of Armies at Shiloh. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, priests of Yahweh, were there.
4Whenever the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he gave portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters,
5but to Hannah he gave a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although Yahweh had closed up her womb.
6And her rival used to provoke her with provocations in order to irritate her, because Yahweh had closed up her womb.
7This happened year after year. As often as she went up to the house of Yahweh, she provoked her, so she wept and would not eat.
8So Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why are you not eating? Why is your heart sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”
9And Hannah got up after eating in Shiloh and after drinking. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the temple of Yahweh.
10And she was in bitterness of soul and prayed to Yahweh as she wept, yes, wept.
11And she vowed a vow and said, “O Yahweh of Armies, if you will see, yes, see the affliction of your servant and will remember me, and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a male child, then I will give him to Yahweh all the days of his life, and no razor will come upon his head.”
12And it came to pass as she continued a long time praying to Yahweh, that Eli was watching her mouth.
13Now Hannah spoke in her heart. Only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk.
14So Eli said to her, “How long will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine from you!”
15But Hannah answered, “No, my lord. I am a woman oppressed in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor beer, but I have been pouring out my soul before Yahweh.
16Do not think of your servant as a daughter of Belial, for I have been speaking out of the abundance of my concern and my being provoked.”
17Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant your request that you have requested of him.”
18And she said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
19They rose up in the morning early and worshiped before Yahweh, and returned and came to their house to Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife and Yahweh remembered her.
20So in the course of time Hannah conceived and bore a son. And she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked him of Yahweh.”
Samuel’s Birth and Dedication to Yahweh
21And the man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to Yahweh the yearly sacrifice and his vow,
22but Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “…until the child is weaned; then I will bring him, that he may appear before Yahweh and stay there forever.”
23And Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems good in your eyes. Wait until you have weaned him, only may Yahweh fulfill his word.” So the woman waited and nursed her son until she weaned him.
24Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bulls and one ephah of flour and a skin-bottle of wine, and brought him to the house of Yahweh in Shiloh. And the child was just a child.
25Then they slaughtered the bull, and brought the child to Eli.
26And she said, “Oh my lord, as your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to Yahweh.
27I prayed for this child, and Yahweh has granted me my request that I requested from him.
28So I also now lend him to Yahweh. As long as he lives he will be lent to Yahweh.” And he worshiped Yahweh there.
